"The Scarlet Ibis" Plot Diagram Activity

A common use for Storyboard That is to help students create a plot diagram of the events from a novel. Not only is this a great way to teach the parts of the plot, but it reinforces major events and help students develop greater understanding of literary structures.

Students can create a storyboard capturing the narrative arc in a novel with a six-cell storyboard containing the major parts of the plot diagram. For each cell, have students create a scene that follows the story in sequence using: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.

Example "The Scarlet Ibis" Plot Diagram

Exposition

The setting is in a southern US state, on a small plantation where the narrator and his new baby brother live.

Major Inciting Conflict

The narrator's little brother, Doodle, is born with disabilities and health conditions. The narrator is unable to accept his brother's physical challenges.

Rising Action

Once the narrator realizes he is ‘stuck’ with Doodle, his pride convinces him to teach Doodle to be “normal”. Once he successfully teaches Doodle to walk, he believes it is possible to teach Doodle other things, and pushes him harder. One day during the summer, the family finds a scarlet ibis that dies in their yard. Doodle for develops a connection with this bird and wants it buried.

Climax

On the last day of training, Doodle shows that he is too weak to continue training. The narrator is upset, and as they decide to go home, a thunderstorm rolls in. The narrator begins running home, Doodle, however, cannot keep up and calls out, “Brother, don’t leave me.”

Falling Action

The narrator turns to go back to his brother, and finds him dead under a bush, in a similar position to the ibis.

Resolution

The narrator recalls how his selfish pride killed Doodle.